When it comes to elevating the flavors in your culinary creations, red wine vinegar often plays a pivotal role. Here’s a red wine vinegar substitute list for you to use when you can’t find any red wine vinegar in your cupboard.
Red wine vinegar is made from fermented red grapes. The process of making this vinegar begins with red wine and water. Bacteria are added to this mixture, which aids in fermenting it into vinegar.
Red wine vinegar is often described as tangy, strong, and sour.
Common uses for this vinegar include salad dressing and marinades for meat. It is used in multiple cuisines; however, it is most commonly found in Mediterranean dishes.
White wine vinegar works well as a substitute for red wine vinegar because it is also created from wine.
Having the same base of grapes creates similarities between the two kinds of vinegar.
They both have a similar amount of acidity as well as a grape flavor and slight sweetness.
White wine vinegar has a much more subtle flavor than red wine vinegar. This makes it versatile, though at the same time, providing a lighter taste to the final dish.
You can use white wine vinegar in nearly all red wine vinegar recipes – especially salad dressings.
White wine vinegar is chock full of antioxidants which are produced by the polyphenols in the vinegar.
Cooking Tip:
You can substitute red wine vinegar with apple cider vinegar for some dishes. Apple cider vinegar provides sweetness and tanginess.
You’ll find apple cider vinegar to be sweeter, less bitter, and have a milder flavor than what red wine vinegar provides.
As apple cider vinegar has a sweeter taste than red wine vinegar, it will not pair well with every dish.
Use apple cider vinegar for marinades and salad dressings, and avoid recipes that are not meant to have a sweet flavor.
Cooking Tips:
Use rice wine vinegar as a red wine vinegar alternative when looking for an ingredient that adds bitterness, tanginess, and acidity to a dish.
Rice vinegar is most commonly used in Asian-inspired dishes like sushi and stir-fries.
This vinegar has a subtle flavor, which is a double-edged sword. It allows the seasoning to be added, making it versatile and working in more dishes.
On the other hand, it does not provide much flavor to recipes. Rice vinegar can be used for most red wine vinegar recipes, including rice dishes and even salad dressings.
Unseasoned rice vinegar is typically gluten-free and works well for those who have dietary restrictions.
Cooking Tips:
Lemon juice and lime juice work as a replacement for red wine vinegar because of the acidity of these citrus fruits.
This helps to provide bitterness and slightly sour flavor to dishes that red wine vinegar typically offers.
Lemon and lime juice have a strong citrus flavor, which will be noticeable in dishes. They also provide a slight sweetness that you’ll usually find in red wine vinegar.
The grape flavor will be missing from this substitute, though it still adds brightness to dishes.
Both of these juices can be incorporated into marinades, dressings, and cooked dishes to provide flavor.
Cooking Tips:
This red wine vinegar option does not have additional health benefits. However, it does work well to flavor meals when the other options are not available. It adds a sweet and bitter taste to dishes.
Sherry vinegar is another option that has a milder flavor. For this reason, you’ll want to increase the amount of sherry vinegar used in your dish depending on your desired taste.
Use sherry vinegar as a final garnish in vinaigrettes or sauces.
Cooking Tips:
Red wine is another sub for red wine vinegar. It does not offer the same bitterness or acidity as vinegar. However, it will provide a nice grape flavor to dishes as well as sweetness.
This substitute is not suitable as a substitute for all dishes. It works best for stews, soups, sauces, and red meats due to its flavoring.
Red wine can also be combined with some of the other alternatives to provide a boost of flavor and complex notes.
Try it with white wine vinegar to create a bolder taste in recipes that white wine vinegar does not offer alone.
Cooking Tips:
Balsamic Vinegar provides sweetness to dishes as well as the sour taste vinegar is known for. There is a difference in the consistency, as balsamic vinegar is much thicker than red wine vinegar.
You will find similar flavor notes in this replacement, as it is also made from grapes.
However, balsamic vinegar has a more complex flavor that includes notes of molasses, fig, and other fruits.
This vinegar works well in salad dressings, marinades, and as drizzled over meats/vegetables.
If you need to cut the sweetness, you can add some lemon or lime juice to the vinegar before using it in recipes. This addition will also thin out the consistency to more closely match that of red wine vinegar.
Keep in mind it’s best not to use this vinegar in cooked recipes. It works well in raw dishes and as a topping on cooked meat and vegetables.
Cooking Tips:
Tamarind paste is another contender for replacement ingredients. It provides a tangy taste similar to that of red wine vinegar. However, you will notice tamarind paste has a much stronger flavor in general.
As it is not vinegar, the taste will not be an exact match. Tamarind paste is best used in small quantities because of this.
It also has a much thicker consistency since it is a paste and not a liquid. You can mix a small amount of white wine vinegar or similar vinegar to offset the thickness, creating a more similar flavor.
Tamarind paste does not work well in all dishes due to its bold flavor. It can also be difficult to find in stores unless you live near an Indian or Asian marketplace.
Cooking Tips:
Like red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar also originates from grapes, providing a similar fruity flavor.
The types of grapes used, however, are different. Champagne vinegar is created by combining chardonnay and pinot noir grapes fermented by adding bacteria into the liquid.
In terms of taste, champagne vinegar is sweeter than red wine vinegar (similar to red wine versus white wine). This sweetness can limit the recipes that champagne vinegar works with.
Champagne vinegar is also milder than red wine vinegar, so you need to use a larger amount when substituting.
It has a similar consistency as red wine vinegar, so champagne vinegar should work well in most recipe swaps. You can use this vinegar in salads or sauces to add a sour kick to any dish.
Cooking Tips:
As raspberry vinegar is also created from fruit, you’ll have a similar fruity taste. There are some flavor differences, as raspberry vinegar is sweeter than red wine vinegar.
However, this vinegar provides a similar color, making it a great replacement in recipes where the color of the finished dish/sauce is important.
If the recipe calls for additional sweeteners like sugar or honey, consider using less to avoid an overly sweet dish. You can use raspberry vinegar for tasty salad dressings/ vinaigrettes. Other uses include sauces and marinades.
You will not easily find this vinegar on store shelves like red wine vinegar. However, it’s easy to make at home with a few ingredients, making it a good replacement.
If you’re short on time, use a different substitute to avoid the vinegar-making process.
Cooking Tips:
You can substitute most types of vinegar for each other. White vinegar can be used, but only as a last resort. It provides a vinegar taste to dishes, though it has a strong, sour taste and lacks any sweetness.
This type of vinegar is most commonly found in kitchens, making it easily accessible. Because of its stark taste, you are limited in the number of recipes. There will be a taste variance when using white vinegar in dishes.
Cooking Tips:
Yes, you can substitute apple cider vinegar for red wine vinegar. Apple cider vinegar will provide a sweeter flavor to dishes so that the final taste will be different from red wine vinegar.
White wine vinegar is a great alternative to red wine vinegar. It will provide the most similar flavor notes and can be used in nearly all recipes that require red wine vinegar.
No, red wine vinegar is not the same as balsamic vinegar. Red wine vinegar is made from fermented grapes and has a strong grape flavor. Balsamic vinegar is created from unfermented grapes and has a sweet, smoky flavor.
No, red wine vinegar and red cooking wine are not the same. Red wine vinegar is created from fermented red wine, whereas red cooking wine does not go through the second fermentation. They both offer a similar flavor in cooking though red cooking wine does not have the same acidity.
Next time you’re in a pinch, try the above alternatives as a sub for red wine vinegar. The top options are either white wine vinegar or a combination of white wine vinegar with a splash of red wine.
The flavor profiles of these choices will create the closest flavor to red wine vinegar. Only those who have a sensitive palate will be able to tell the difference. Otherwise, your table guests will not be able to tell you used an alternative.
